Rambling Babbles

by Micki (Isaacson) Goldstein

I moved to Sunnyside in 3rd grade (Mrs. Grossfeld). I loved the neighborhood although I lived in apartment building. I walked down to the Gardens and closed my eyes and smelled the trees and flowers in the front yards. When winter came, I would slosh down there and we would set up a big carton that someone had thrown away. We would sit in it and laugh a lot - Bobby Stonehill, Marty Levinson, and many others.

Trips to the Broiler on Queens Boulevard. French fries served in wax paper narrow bags. Tall red headed Shirley would use a long thin wooden spoon to add ketchup. The very short guy flipped delicious burgers. Lime rickies after school at the candy store next to 150.

On to 125 and wonderful Mr. Kramer. He was a dapper dresser and put on terrific shows - oh how I loved being part of those shows.

We lived in apathetic times - some of this in a good way. We were allowed to be children. We could walk the streets, play running bases, stickball etc. until after dark.

It felt good to be in a community you felt comfortable within. It was ethnically diverse. Unfortunately we had to wait until high school to be in a community that was even more diverse.